williams



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. BELL 8; J S. WILLIAMS.

STOP FOR ELEVATORS.

Patented Sept. 3', 1895.

WITNESSES:

' INVENTOHS W *6 AITTOIHNEYS,

(N0 Mode1.) 2 SheeteSheet z T. BELL & J. S. WILLIAMS.

STOP FOR ELEVATORS.

Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BELL, or McALEs'rER, AND JOHN s. WILLIAMS, or KREBS, INDIANTERRITORY.

STOP FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,764, datedSeptember 3, 1895. Application filedDecember 19,1894. Serial No.532.322. (to model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS BELL, of Me- Alester, and JOHN S. WILLIAMS,of Krebs, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, have invented a new andImproved Stop for Elevator and other Cages, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of devices which areadapted to to stop the cagesin elevator-wells, mining-shafts,

and similar places; and the object of our invention is to produce asimple device which is adapted to be placed in the bottom of an elevatorwell or mining-shaft, and which serves as a cushion to receivethedescending cage, thus allowing the engineer to run the cage with greaterspeed and preventing the cage from receiving damage by striking thebottom suddenly. Our stop device is also adapted to be locked in itsdepressed position when struck bya cage and then be automaticallyreleased when the cage is lifted, so as to place itself in position toagain receive the cage.

The object of locking the stop device in its depressed position is tohold the cage stationary while it is being unloaded, as otherwise thecushion would cause the cage to rise.

A further object of our invention is to pro- 0 duce a device which maybe used to advantage in cages which are arranged to receive coal orsimilar cars, and which, being depressed by the weight of the cage andcar, and being prevented from rising by the lock 5 ing device, holds thecar in position to be readily loaded.

To these ends our invention consists of certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter de- 4o scribed andcaimed.

proved stop. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the lever mechanism which isused for releasing.

the stop, so that it may rise again without being compressed; and Fig. 3is a detail vertical section of the stop, showing its connection withthe rails of an ordinary coal-track.

The stop is provided with a top striking plate or platform 10, which issupported on springs 11, resting on a base-plate 12, and this ispreferably mounted on suitable supports 13; but it will be understoodthat instead of the spiral springs 11 shown other springs may be used oranother form of cushion substituted for the springs without departingfrom the principle of the invention. The 69 downward movement of thestriking plate or platform is limited by blocks 14 on the baseplate 12.Depending from the under side of the striking plate or platform 10, andat a point near the center, is a screw 15, which connects with thestriking-plate by a balljoint 16, the ball being held by a pin 16, sothat it cannot turn horizontally. The pin works in slots of the bearing,as shown in Fig.

3. The object of the ball-joint is to enable 70 the screw to maintainits vertical position without being strained, even though thestriking-plate 10 be considerably tilted.

The screw 15 extends downward through a plate 17, which is supported vonlegs 18, and 7 through a ratchet-wheel 19, the thread of the screw beingengaged by a key 20 in the said ratchet-wheel, so thatthe verticalmovement of the screw turns the ratchet-wheel. The screw also extendsdownward through the base-plate 12 and the wear'plate 21, on which theratchet-wheel turns. If desired, the screw may be provided with severalgrooves and the ratchet-Wheel with corresponding keys, or theratchet-wheel may be interiorly threaded 8 5 to fit the screw.

The ratchet-wheel 19 is tapered on the under side, so that it will turnwith little friction when the plate 10 and the screw 1.5 are beingdepressed; but the upper side of the ratchet-wheel is provided with ashoulder 22, which enters a plate 23, bolted to the under side of theplate 17, and thus the ratchetwheel turns with considerable frictionwhen the plate 10 is being lifted. 5

The ratchet-wheel is prevented from turning by a pawl 24:,which,however, may be released by the levers connected with it, the

pawl being fulcrumed on the under side of the plate 17 and having itsouter end pivoted too to a connecting-rod 25, which extends outward andis pivoted to the lower end of a lever 26,

which is fnlcrumed on a support 27, and is at the upper end pulledoutward by a spring 27 The upper end of the lever 26 connects by a rod28 with the lower end of alever29, which is fulcrumed on a suitablesupport and has a long bend 31, adapted to be struck by a cage 32, so asto push the lever out when the cage is ascending, and thus release thepawl 24, so that the ratchet-wheel 19 may turn and the striking-plate 10rise. When the elevator is used in connection with the rails 37 ofacoaltrack, as shown in Fig. 3, one edge of the striking-plate 10 isprovided with a rod 33, which enters slots 34 in the vertically-swingingrails 35, which, therefore, are adapted to move up and down in unisonwith the striking-plate, and the rails are hinged at 36 at their outerends to the ordinary track-rails 37, and when the striking-plate 10 islifted the rails 37 are level with the rails and are of a height toalign with the rails on a cage which is adapted to receive the coal-carsrunning on the track 37 in the usual way.

The rails 35 are provided with flanges 35, secured to a movable floorportion 38, which is adapted to swing in a space 39. That edge of theplatform 10 which is adjacent to the rails 35 is provided with twonotches or open slots to receive the ends of said rails, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be seen that when the stop is arrangedin the bottom of a mining-shaft it will cushion a descending cage,- asspecified, and when the striking-plate 10 is depressed it is locked bythe pawl 24, so

that the cage is in position to receive or discharge its car, and whenthe cage ascends it strikes thebend 31 ot the lever 29, thus actuatingthe levers connected therewith and releasing the pawl 24 andratchet-wheel 19, which permits the screw 15 to turn and the spring 11to raise the striking-plate 10.

\Ve have shown but one set of swinging rails 35 connected with thestriking-plate; but 7 it will be understood that the striking-plate willhave a similar set of rails in the opposite side, so that when a cage ison the strikingplate it may receive or discharge cars from either side.

The object of locking the striking-plate in its lower position is tohold the cage stationary while it is being unloaded, as otherwise thesprings would cause the cage to rise.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A stop of the kind described, comprising acushioned striking plate, a locking device to hold the striking plate inits lower position, and means for automatically releasing the strikingplate, substantially as described.

2. A stop of thekind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, aratchet mechanism for locking the striking plate in its depressedposition, and a lever mechanism actuated by the rise of the cage fromthe striking plate to release the ratchet mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

3. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate,a screw on the under side of the striking plate, a ratchet wheel turnedby the vertical movement of the screw, a pawl to engage the ratchetwheel, and a lever mechanism to release the pawl, substantially asdescribed.

4. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate,a screw on the under side of the striking plate, a ball joint connectingthe screw and striking plate, a ratchet wheel turned by the verticalmovement of the screw, a pawl to lock the ratchet wheel, and a levermechanism to release the pawl, substantially as described.

5. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate,a screw on the under side of the striking plate, a ratchet wheel turnedby the screw, a bearing plate for the upper side of the ratchet wheel, apawl to lock the ratchet wheel, and a lever mechanism to release thepawl, substantially as described.

6. The combination, of the cushioned striking plate, the ratchet wheelturned by the rise and fall of the striking plate, a pawl for preventingsaid ratchet wheel from turning, a lever projecting above the strikingplate to be engaged by a cage, and mechanism actuated by the lever torelease the pawl, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the cushioned striking plate and the stationarytrack rails adjacent thereto, of the swinging track rails hinged to therigid rails and connected with the striking plate to rise and falltherewith, substantially as described.

8. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate,a locking device to hold the striking plate in position when the cushionis compressed, and means for releasing the striking plate, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination of the cushioned striking plate, and the swingingfloor section secured to a stationary support and also socured to thestriking plate to rise and fall therewith, substantially as described.

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